


Only in Absence

by orphan_account



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, Memories, Post-Reichenbach, Sadness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-22
Updated: 2013-07-22
Packaged: 2017-12-21 01:08:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/894020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John misses Sherlock</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only in Absence

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I own none of these characters. And, as usually, I apologise for sadness. I write a lot of sadness. Sorry.

There are some things that are only noticed in their absence. John had slowly come to this realisation in the weeks after Sherlock...left.  
He had never realised how comfortable the feeling of Sherlock's feet against his was as they sat together at breakfast, for example. Every day, without fail, John would read the newspaper and Sherlock would lounge opposite, his bare feet sliding forward under the table to press lightly against John's legs. His eyes would always flicker up slightly to look at the detective above the paper and then Sherlock would smile. John missed that smile. Sherlock would only ever smile at John that way. Nobody else saw him this way, and it made John happier every time he saw it. He missed that.  
Or the little huff of annoyance Sherlock would give at the stories on John's blog, his warm breath tickling the back of John's neck as he'd lean in to read. It made the small hairs on the back of John's neck prickle slightly every time. And then Sherlock would make some sarcastic comment and John would be able to feel the side of Sherlock's face pressing lightly against his own. And then there'd be a smile from John, completely unintentional but always tugged from his lips by his friend's presence, and Sherlock would sigh in annoyance and pull away to get back to his experiments. He missed that, too. And he missed being able to write about their cases.  
He missed coming home and seeing Sherlock sprawled on the sofa. He'd always be lying there and when John walked in he'd lift his head a fraction and smile slightly. John would sit down on the edge of the sofa and the detective would swing his legs out of the way so John could sit down. As soon as he was comfortable, Sherlock's legs would be lifted back on to the sofa and he would rest his feet in John's lap. John always made a show of grumbling, but he always allowed it. He liked having Sherlock next to him. He missed it now. He missed it a lot.  
There were things he'd hated at the time, but he missed them deeply now. Body parts in the fridge, milk that always ran out, the constant allusions to them being a couple. If Sherlock would only come back, John would never complain again. He could tolerate the gruesome experiments and he would buy a lifetime of milk, he wouldn't even care about people assuming they were together. If Sherlock would come back to him, he'd punch his stupid face and then he'd hug him and never let go. He would sell his soul to feel his friend's arms around him. They had never been a couple, but John almost wished they were. He wished Sherlock would know how much he cared.  
Many things are only noticed in their absence. And out of all of these, love that's been lost hurts the most.


End file.
